THE government has inked an infrastructure development contract worth 101bn/- for the upgrade of 66.9kms between Kidatu-Ifakara including the Great Ruaha Bridge.
The contract funded jointly by the
European Union (EU), UK Department for International Development (UKAID)
and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was
signed in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
This upgrading will support the
government’s Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor in Tanzania (SAGCOT)
and significantly improve access to markets for farmers in the Kilombero
valley and stimulate greater investment in agriculture and
agro-processing.
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the
Ministry of Finance and Planning, Ms Amina Shaaban, said the project is
financed in the framework of the EU support to the SAGCOT initiative
programme, the financing agreement was signed between the government and
EU in July 2014.
“The main objective of the initiative is
to provide opportunities for smallholder producers to engage in
profitable agriculture by developing stronger linkages between
smallholders and commercial agribusiness,” she said.
Ms Shaaban said the total contract cost
of 40.4 million euros for the project exceeds 29.6 million euros which
was initially allocated by the EU and DFID, so initiatives were taken to
solicit additional funding for the project.
She further said procurement process for
the project’s works contract was rigorous and transparent as per
respective regulations and procedures. Expounding further, she said the
Mikumi-Ifakara road is the main and only access to the Kilombero and
Ulanga districts from National TANZAM road linking the port of Dar es
Salaam to Zambia, Malawi and DRC.
“This intervention is considered to be
one of the highest priorities within SAGCOT investment blue print; the
road is the gateway to the clusters within the highest agriculture
growth,” she said Ms Shaaban said majority of infrastructure in the
SAGCOT area were dilapidated, roads are unreliable for timely supply of
agro-inputs and transporting agricultural products.
Head of EU Delegation to Tanzania and
the East Africa Community (EAC), Ambassador Roeland Van de Geer
confirmed their support to the transport sector in Tanzania and their
willingness to operate jointly.
“We want to contribute to ensure better
access to market for agricultural products through improvement of rural
roads and their maintenance and through development and efficient
management of multimodal regional corridors,” he noted.
He added, “Construction and maintenance
of rural roads is crucial and we as partners we are committed to keep on
working together to fight poverty.”
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